Irish whiskey distillery visitor figures back over 1m
The number of tourists to Ireland’s distilleries in the past year is the highest since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) has revealed.
New tourism figures from the IWA showed that Ireland’s distilleries attracted a total of 1,010,261 visitors for the year to June 2025.
The number is a 23% increase on the previous year, 2023-2024, when more than 800,000 people headed to the country’s distilleries. It also marks the strongest showing since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eoin Ó Catháin, director of the IWA, said: “Irish whiskey has long been one of Ireland’s most compelling cultural exports, and these remarkable results show that our distillery experiences are now flagship tourism attractions. It is particularly great to see thousands of tourists visiting our rural distilleries as well as our urban experiences.
“While the wider tourism landscape faces challenges, our distilleries are thriving, welcoming visitors from around the world and driving regional growth. The continued rise in visitor numbers shows how deeply Irish whiskey resonates with global travellers. But to sustain this momentum, the sector needs targeted government support and investment.”
The visits are said to have created €41.6m (US$48.3m) for local businesses with the average spend being €41.24 (US$48) per person.
Outside of Ireland, the US, the UK, Germany and France were listed as the main markets for people coming in from overseas, which also made up the majority of the visits.
Visitors were typically aged 34-45, followed by 45-54. Furthermore, IWA noted the gender balance was strong.
Jameson’s Bow St site in Dublin was the most popular distillery followed by Bushmills in Antrim, Teeling Whiskey Distillery in Dublin (which welcomed its one millionth visitor this year), the Midleton Distillery Experience in Cork, and The Shed Distillery in Leitrim.
Meanwhile, the top five distilleries visitors experienced that showed most growth were ranked in order as Dingle Distillery in Kerry, Micil Distillery in Galway, Ahascragh Distillery in Galway, Skellig Six18 Distillery in Kerry, and The Shed Distillery.
The IWA will launch an Irish Whiskey Way tourism initiative this month, which celebrates the country’s food and drink trails.
Despite 2024 being a challenging year for Irish tourism, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), whiskey remained a strong point for drawing both domestic and international crowds.
The IWA reaffirmed that it would continue working with the Irish government and its tourism partners to sustain growth and ensure the category ‘remains a cornerstone of Ireland’s tourism economy’.
Alice Mansergh, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, added: “Congratulations to the Irish Whiskey Association on its latest survey results, which show that more than one million visitors attended distillery experiences over the past year, with the majority of those coming from overseas.
“Island-wide, distillery experiences tell the 700-plus-year-old story of whiskey on these shores. It’s a story touching on history, people, flavours and local ingredients, with distilleries welcoming visitors from Bushmills to Kilbeggan, from the mountains of Mourne to the Skellig Coast.
“At Tourism Ireland, we share cultural distillery experiences with relevant audiences across 14 markets, all with a view to encouraging overseas visitors to our island across regions and seasons.”
According to the IWA’s Irish Whiskey in Numbers report, sales of Irish whiskey exceeded 15m cases in 2024, with total exports at €1 billion (US$1.04bn) covering 113 markets.
Last month, the IWA travelled to Mexico, which it described as a market with “incredible scope for growth”.
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